The latest Leicester City news as Enzo Maresca discusses the possibility of Tom Wilson-Brown replacing Callum Doyle, and with updates on Victor Kristiansen, Wanya Marcal, Sammy Braybrooke, and Will Alves
Callum Doyle’s injury was the “worst-case scenario” for Leicester City with the club doubling up on nearly every position bar the one occupied by the Manchester City loanee.
He’s not going to play again until the new year, and it looks like James Justin will be the man occupying the slot most often, although he will need breaks at some point. However, it seems Maresca won’t yet turn to the player who played in Doyle’s position during the international break.
With Doyle representing England Under-21s in the September matches, Maresca called up Tom Wilson-Brown to first-team training. He is a left-footed centre-back who can operate as a left-back, and so ticks the boxes. He’s also been a consistent presence for City’s Under-21s this term.
But Maresca has said it is too early to consider the 18-year-old. That’s despite the likes of Kasey McAteer and Wanya Marcal stepping up from the development squad and performing well this season.
“(Wilson-Brown) was with us two or three times just to use in the same position as Callum,” Maresca said. “But at this moment he is with the second team and we are not thinking about him in Callum’s position. But yes he could help us (in the future). He still needs to work.”
If Maresca had had his way, Victor Kristiansen would still be at the club and would be filling in for Doyle. But the Dane had no interest in taking on the hybrid role that would see him play as a centre-back for most of each game, and so he left in the final week of the window to join Bologna in Italy.
And it’s going rather well. At the weekend, Kristiansen played 90 minutes as Bologna beat Empoli 3-0. It means that in the left-back’s five Serie A games, his new side are unbeaten, and it’s the longest such streak in the division. They’ve also kept clean sheets in their last four matches.
Marcal could return in form
Replacing Doyle is not the only matter at hand for Maresca. He now has Kasey McAteer on the sidelines for at least a month after he pulled his hamstring at Blackburn.
Even though McAteer is top scorer, it’s not such a problem for City, with plenty of wide options available, and with Wanya Marcal available to turn to. The Portuguese winger has not played in any of City’s last six matches and has not even been on the bench for the past five, and so has returned to the Under-21s.
But if he is called back up to the first team for the game with Preston, he will do so in good form. He has two goals and an assist in his four outings for the development squad, with the first of those goals and his assist both dribbles from inside his own half. He then scored a tap-in as the Under-21s ended their losing run with a 3-1 victory at Fulham on Friday night.
Braybrooke and Alves back in November
And Ben Petty’s youngsters only have to wait just over a month until they will have their ranks bolstered. The schedule for Will Alves and Sammy Braybrooke is for them to be able to play for the Under-21s in around five or six weeks’ time, and so in early-to-mid November.
The duo, among the club’s best prospects, both suffered ACL tears in the space of a month last winter, and have been slowly stepping up their recoveries since. Maresca has said that when they are available and playing again, he will take a look at them.
